FACSIMILE (FAX)
A facsimile machine is a communication device that scans documents digitally through telephone lines then prints them out on another facsimile machine 1.
Previously faxes were used more often then mail as they would be received instantly saving time and money. However, faxes have decreased as emails are becoming the preferred method of instant communication. If you have access to an internet fax, email or a Web browser, faxes via the internet can produce good facsimiles. They work much the same way as a fax, but they send and receive documents via the internet as a PDF or TIFF file through emails and requires no phone line 2.
BLOGS
Blogs are a new form of asynchronous communication courtesy of faster digital technology allowing users to share opinions on particular subjects or events.
Businesses use internal blogs to enhance collaboration between the employees or externally such as marketing known as corporate blogs3. During 2006 the number of large companies using corporate blogs increased from 35% to 70% 4.
Companies who set up internal blogs will discover that it’s simple and cost effective creating an atmosphere where employees participate in the company’s future vision by expressing new ideas, through debates creating better participation and spontaneous collaboration in a team. These create greater outcomes and objectives for the business 5.
However, some people consider blogging not an effective collaboration tool, most notably Nancy Garman stating in her article ‘Blogs, Collaboration & Community’ that the use of blogs is a self-publishing phenomenon where individuals publish their own content, rather than as a handy collaboration tool which have been tagged as helping in the business environment. Nancy indicates that blogs may help to enhance communication between employees but this certainly doesn’t make it collaborative, but also has stated that a collaborative blog can’t create a community and a community can’t ensure a successful collaborative blog 6.
External blogs are used so anyone outside the company to allow them to interact with the target markets, by creating a more personal interaction though promotions of products and in turn creates a collaboration of ideas between the client and business 7.
Types of Corporate Blogs
EMAILS
Email or Electronic mail is an electronic communication system that allows the user to store, forward and send messages from one computer to another instantly, allowing for better workplace collaborations.
The use of emails can be traced back to 1965 when multiple users could communicate between one another via a time-sharing mainframe computer but in 1966, communication of simple messages could be achieved from one computer to another, allowing for the first form of collaboration communications via computers.
The business community quickly took up emails, as it was a very simply way to communicate between businesses, and it was quickly dubbed the “e-revolution”.
Some of the pros for emails for businesses are:
· Problem with logistics:
In business, communication between people and/or organizations who are of considerable distance can prove costly and time consuming for meetings to occur in a specify location, but the exchange of information can now be instant and this saves money.
· The problem of synchronization
If real time communication is needed, making sure everyone is gathering at the same time and same place can be very difficult, but emails allows the receiver to view the information that was sent to them in their own time.
However there are some cons. They are:
· Time
20% - 50% more time is spent viewing emails and with increase use of emails as a collaboration tool due to globalization, this can prove costly to businesses.
· Inconsistency
Emails can repeat and duplicate information, and if a team is collaborating on a project, this can cause problems 8.
Types of Emails
FORUMS
An internet forum allows for online discussions and postings by anyone in the world, and contains views and options on a certain topic. They are posted by members of these forums over a certain time period. Forums are different from blogs, as blogs are by an individual, whereas forums are a discussion by a community on a topic.
Forums allow for effective discussion and communication by all members of a team using online meetings to express views and options, to resolve a problem in a short and/or real time, without the expense of everyone meeting at one location or sending emails between team members. Emails lead to miscommunication by team members and can’t solve problems in real time 9.
Types Of Forums
REFERENCES
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fax viewed on 21st March 2008
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_fax viewed on 21st March 2008
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog viewed on 21st March 2008
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_blog viewed on 21st March 2008
5. http://www.globalprblogweek.com/2005/09/19/dutto-internal-blogs, Internal blogs: How to design powerful conversations that open possibilities for action and collaboration within blogs by Matías Fernández Dutto on September 19th, 2005,
viewed on 23rd March 2008
6. http://www.infotodayblog.com/2005/12/02/observations-from-nancy-garman-on-blogs-collaboration-community/, Observations from Nancy Garman on Blogs, Collaboration & Community. ITI Bloggers December 2nd, 200, viewed on 25th March 2008
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_blog viewed on 21st March 2008
8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email viewed on 21st March 2008
9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forums viewed on 21st March 2008
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